Rabbling means



H. J. HARTLEY -r Al. 1,879,680

RABBLING MEANS Sept. 27, 1932.-

' f vFiled April 19, 1932 2 Shee'tS-Shveet l INVENTORS Henry JHarI/ey Sept. 27, 1932.

H. J. HARTLEY ETYAI..

RABBLING MEANS Filed April 19, 1932 y 2 Sheets-Sheet N'roRs arle 1rd ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED vSTATES PATENT ori-"ICE,

HENRY J. HARTLEY, OF HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK, AND DUDLEY BAIRD, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 NICHOLS ENGINEERING AND RESEARCH CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE RABBLING MEANS Application led April 19, 1932. Serial No. 606,102.

This invention relates to furnaces and particularly to improved rabbling means especially adaptable foruse in roasting furnaces of the class shown for example in U. S. Letters Patent No. 976,175 to John B. F. Herreficiently and dependably meet different conditions of operation and maintenance.

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages will appear from the detailed description given below taken in conneetionwith the accompanying drawings Which form a part of this specification.

The invention consists in the novel features, arrangements and combinations of parts embodied by Way of example only in the apparatus hereinafter described.

In the drawingsl c Fig. 1 represents in central vertical section the top part of a multiple hearth roasting furnace embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan -view showing the construction of a rabble arm as mounted in a furnace according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the rabble arm of Fig. 2, this section being taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing an alternative embodiment of the invention as applied to a furnace hearth having peripheral discharge openings; and

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 but showing a rabble arm construction as applied to a furnace hearth having a central discharge opening.

Although the invention is applicable to furnaces of various types, inthe particular example illustrated in Fig. 1 the furnace as shown may comprise a plurality of vertically spaced or superposcd circular hearths, one of which is indicated at 10. These hearths Aare surrounded and supported in the usual dially from the shaft into the space between,

succeeding hearths. AA hopper is indicated at 15 for discharging the materia-l to be treated into the furnace through an ore-luted feeding device 16. The material entering the furnace through the .feeding device, falls upon a delivery bed 17 Where it may be given a preliminary heating and is effectively dried. Babble arms as at 18 and 19 extend from the central shaft radially over the delivery bed 17, and these rabble arms, as Well as various ofthe other` rabble arms inthe furnace if desired, may be provided with rabbling means according to this invention.

From the delivery bed 17 the ore may be fed through an opening as at 20 also provided with an ore-luted feeding device as at 21, from which the ore may fall to the hearth 10.

We will 110W describe in further detail the rabble tooth arrangement such as is shown in connection With the rabble arms 18 and 19, Figs. 2 and 3 showing this arrangement vmore full The raiible arms 18 and 19 may be cast of suitable heat-resisting material or if desired,

the same may be formed of standard steel tubing, but in either event, means may be provided at the lower side of the arm for slidlably receiving rabble tooth supporting means. For example, as shown in Fig. 3,

the lower surface of the rabble arm may be cast of a shape to provide a groove at 22 for slidably receiving tongue portions 23 of corresponding shape, formed on rabble supporting. members as at 24. The. rabble arms may be provided in the usual waywith an internal cavity as at 25 and an internal cooling -fluid conduit as at 26. l

In the example of the invention illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the rabble tooth supporting members` 23 may each be provided with a lug as `at 27, to which a supporting arm 28 may be connected.- Supporting arm 28 in turn may be pivotally connected as at -29 to a link 30 which carries a shaft or stud 31 on which a disc tooth 32 is rotatably mounted. The lug 27 may be adjustably connected to the arm 28 as by a bolt or pin as indicated, and if desired, the engaging surfaces of the members 27 and 28 around this bolt or pin may be provided with teeth extending radially from the bolt. lVith this arrangement when the bolt is loosened, the arm 2'8 may be adjusted at various different or desired angular positions in reference to the rabble arm and then the bolt may be tightened for securely locking thc arm 28 in the desired adjusted position. The connection at 29 between the arm 28 and link 30 preferably forms a loose flexible or pivoted joint which permits the rabble discs to individually rise and fall along their path of travel in order that the discs may pass over abnormally large pieces or accumulations of the material being treated without danger of breakage of the parts or jamming of the operation thereof.

rIhe above described arrangement provides a ready means for adapting the conventional forms of rabble arms to the features of this invention.. However, in Figs. 4 and 5 additional embodiments are shown wherein therabble arms are more especially constructed for the purposes of this invention. As shown in Fig. 4 the rabble arm itself may comprlse a tubular member as at 33 of uniform crosssection, the outer end of this member being provided with a plug as at 34, and a cooling fluid conduit as at 35 being provided within the arm. According to this embodiment of the invention, it will be noted that each of the rabble discs as at 36 is rotatably mounted upon a stud as at 37, which in turn is supported on a link 38 corresponding in part to the functions of the link 30 in the embodiment above described. The link 38 may be pivotally connected as Iat 39 to hollow supporting members as at 40 which embrace the arm 33. If desired, the members 40 may be so constructed as to freely turn'about the arm 33 to permit the rabble discs to ride up anddown when following the path of travel over the hearth. Ordinarily the connection 39 between the members 38 and 40 maybe adjustable, although arranged to be clamped and I locked the same as the connection'at' 27 in.

kthe embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 whereby the rabble discs may be individually adj usted to drag at the desired angle in respect to tne rabble arm. However, under some circumstances in treatingcertain materials, it may be found desirable to allow free pivotal movement at the connection 38 thereb;7 giving the rabble discs freedomfor universal movement within limits.

porting member 42 at the outer end of the rabble arm if desired, ma be provided with a scraper or rabble tooth o conventional form as at 43 for scraping the material under treatment into the discharge openings as at 44 provided at the periphery of the hearth.

The supporting members 40 and spacer members may be readily slid on or of at the outer end of the rabble arm 33 and in order to removably retain such members on the arm, a transverse pin vas at 46 may be provided to extend through suitable apertures in the end of the arm and through the end plug 34. As

indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, portions of the lower surfaces of the hangers 40 and spacer members 41 maybe cut away at 45. Such cut-away portions enable one to apply a suitable tool or hook to these members to facilitate removal of the same. Also, the cutting away of such portions of course results in some saving of Weight and material.

In the event that it is desired to preventvertical movement of the rabble discs of the type shown in Figs. 4 and, the'hangers 40 and the rabble arms may be formed to provide a tongue and groove connection such as shown at 22 and 23, Fig. 3.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 is similar to that of'Fig. 4 with the exception that it will be noted that the dise rabbles are mounted to defiect the materlal under treatment inwardly instead of outwardly of the hearth, thereby permitting .the provision of an internal `discharge opening as at 47 in lieu of the peripheral openings 44 as above referred to.

It will be understood that under some circumstances either one or both of the joints as at 27 and 29 in Fig. 3 and as at 39 in Fig.4

` may b e pmitted with the parts permanently and rigidly attached or .made integral at these points.

The usual practice as followed in the design of furnaces of this general type may be followed as to constructional details which are not specifically referred to herein and in this connection reference is also hereby made granted May 29, 1928.

With the above described arran ements it will be observed that each of the' disc rabbles may be independently adjusted at the proper angle, which may be determined by trial, so that the ore or other material being dried or treated on the hearth will be progressed over each area of the hearth at the proper rate. This feature involves various advantages. For example, the area available near the peripheries` of the hearths for treating to individually rise and fall to accommodate Cil the ore is much greater than the hearth area available near the central portions of the hearths. Therefore if the ore is to be elticiently treated and at the same time progressed over4 the hearths so that no prohibitive accumulations will occur at any point, then it will usually be advisable to move the ore more rapidly over the central areas and to this end the disc rabbles nearer the center may be adjusted at progressively greater angles in respect to their paths of travel, as is indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. The disc rabbles nearer the periphery of the hearths may be adjusted at lesser anglesor at angles such that the movement of the ore will be slow enough to readily permit the desired degree of drying or other treatment.

It will be noted, further that with the above described arrangements the individual mounting of the disc rabbles is such that spacer members of various sizes may be used to space the discs at the proper distances,

depending upon the character of the ma terial treated, and also any of the discs which ma become excessively worn or otherw'se de ective, may be individually and quickly replaced or repaired without the necessity of removing the other discs on the same rabble arm unless itis so desired. Also,'since'each of the discs is separately rotatable, if one of the discs should become temporarily'jammed or its operation should be otherwise imperfect, the remaining discs may still be free for proper operation and if excessive accumulations or large lumps of the ore occur at any point, any of the discs will be free such conditions.

Although as indicated in Fig. 1, the invention is shown as applied to the top drying hearth or the delivery bed of the furnace, it

will be understood that if desired this arrangement may be applied in a s1m1lar manf ner to other hearths within the multiple hearth furnace, as for example is indicated by Figs..4 and 5 which illustrate'the other embodiments as applied to internal hearths. WhileA the invention has been described with respect to certain particular preferred examples which give satisfactory results, 1t will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, lin the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In combination a furnace having a vertically extendingl rotatable shaft, rabble arms extending substantially radially from said shaft, and a plurality of rotatable disc rabbles connected to said arms by means pera rotatable disc rabble, and means for connecting said rabble to said4 arm comprising a hollow cylindrical member rotatable about said arm.

4.' In combination a movable rabble arm, a plurality of disc rabbles, means individual to each of said rabbles and adapted to be slidably received on said arm for connecting the rabbles to the arm, and spacer members also slidably receved on said arm for spacing apart said connecting means.

5. In combination a movable rabble arm, a plurality of rotatable disc rabbles, and means for connectin said rabbles to said dragged along embracing and arm whereby the rab les are arcuate pat-hs ofmovement by said arm, saidconnecting means being adjustable individually as to eachof said rabbles whereby the several rabbles may be carried at various dlerent angular relationships with respect to their paths of travel.

.6. In combination a movable rabble arm, a plurality of disc rabbles, and means for connecting said rabbles tosaid arm whereby each of said rabbles is rotatable independently of the others.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification.

^ HENRY J. HARTLEY.

DUDLEY BAIRD. 

